Amateur Profile – Evan Zaloudek

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114 – May/June, 2024

By Minae Kroeze

Some may recall an article from 2019 in The Equine Chronicle that featured a story about Evan Zaloudek, who excitedly won a bucket at the 2011 NSBA World Show for placing eighth in Trail. He triumphantly yelled down the aisle to his mother, “I won a bucket!” He was more excited to have the bucket than for cracking the Top Ten at the NSBA World Show.

When asked about the Zaloudek’s favorite horse show memory again in 2024, while this is the first thing to come to Lorna Zaloudek’s mind, another favorite is from the 2018 All American Quarter Horse Congress. While Evan had been practicing showmanship with the horse that he was most familiar with showing, he ultimately had to use a different horse on Showmanship day. As all equestrians know, adapting to a different horse presents its own challenges. While the horse Evan was used to showing needed to be pushed off to trot, this horse did not, ultimately leading to the pair tangling their feet up, and Evan ending up face down in the dirt.

“Evan did not let go of the line, he immediately jumped up and brushed off his pants, yelling, ‘I’m okay!’ Nothing stops the competition for him, and we all had a good laugh,” Lorna says.
And maybe it is that resilience and character that has helped Evan be wildly successful both in and out of the show pen.

A Whole World Out There

Evan has won numerous NSBA World Championships and two Congress Championships, along with countless other blue ribbons and titles at events across the country. But for the Zaloudeks, it’s evident that while the wins are impressive, it is not the most important aspect of showing horses.

Lorna reflects that competitive riding has taken what could have been a very mundane future in potentially low-skilled work environments for Evan and opened a pathway for him to a world of personal growth and development, along with the desire for inclusion and interaction with others.

“The EWD Program created a portal for Evan. His connection to horses caused him to break down his own limitations and begin to communicate and associate with people outside our family. It was the impetus to bring him socially, emotionally, and intellectually into our world,” Lorna says.

Equestrians and Inclusivity

Click here to read the complete article
114 – May/June, 2024